Saturday, 31 December 2011

The year will soon be over, but the flowers bought for Christmas are still going strong, buds are opening and, together with the Christmas tree, bringing much-needed colour to counteract the dull, wet weather out of doors.

Some of the roses are a lovely dusky grey-pink, just the colour that I keep trying to grow in the garden, with little success.

It is also difficult to capture this colour on my camera, natural light is so low at this time of year that the camera tries to compensate and artificial light also distorts.

We are crossing the road to bring in the New Year with our neighbours. There will be great company, food, drink and dancing.

Saturday, 24 December 2011

Christmas Eve is when we decorate the house. The tree is brought in from a corner of the garden and the boxes of ornaments carried down from the attic. It is not the most elegant of trees, a bit bald looking in places. We have had this one for a good five years or more and by the time we have laden it with years of assorted finery its imperfections will not be noticed.

Hopefully!

It is always a red and green theme. The red ornaments are mostly apples and hearts.

The hearts have been handmade and given to me over the years as small Christmas gifts..

Friday, 23 December 2011

Mmm, delicious - a brace of pheasant. They were shot last weekend but I've skinned them today (see my January posting 'pheasant' for the quickest and most simple way) and put the breast and leg meat in the freezer ready to make a tasty casserole in the New Year. I normally hang them for a little longer so that the flavour can develop, but the weather is quite mild and also from tomorrow the kitchen will be full of Christmas activity.

The Christmas tree is to decorate but I've mislaid the fairy. I hope you are all far better organized than I am!

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Fierce weather has brought down some lovely branches at the edge of the woods. Just the job for making a rather lopsided Christmas wreath.

Here is my marsh orchid for flwrjane at smallbutcharming. It is as white as the hailstones that are hammering against the window pane.

Pull down the blind!

I've rescued a few bedraggled flowers from the garden. A couple of 'Iceberg' roses that were covered in ice sit in a vase with seeded parsley, some sage and bay leaves. Another small vase contains colourful fuchsias.

Thursday, 8 December 2011

Earlier occupants of our home planted a group of three silver birch trees in a corner of the garden. They grew and, fighting for space, started to lean, so, some years ago, we had one removed and reduced the height of the others. The remaining two have re-grown prodigiously and it is time to say goodbye to another and to shorten the survivor.

While we are about it we shall have the fir trees that border the road cut back a little.

The smaller birch tree branches and the cuttings from the fir trees are all chipped. It's useful stuff and at some time in the future I'll be spreading it down as a mulch.

About Me

I live with Himself (husband) in a former gamekeeper's cottage in the South-West of England.
All text and photographs on this blog are
copyright and property of Rosemary Murphy unless otherwise stated.
I have three blogs;
Share my garden,
My life in one hundred objects and
Miss Cellany.
The 'Himself' blog consists of short stories and artwork, copyright of Peter Murphy.